Untamed
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: AU: Elliot Stabler is the new sheriff of the town with no name. Olivia Benson is a farmer who refuses to give in to pressure from her neighbors to sell. Will true love win out or will the Howard boys get their way once again. EO
1. Chapter 1: The Town With No Name

**Untamed**

**Chapter 1: The Town With No Name**

**Disclaimer: I do not own SVU**

**A/N: I think I am taking an awful lot of liberties here. I have, for the sake of this story, given Arthur Branch a family that he probably would otherwise not have and I have taken away from Elliot, a family that he usually has. That almost sounded poetic but what can I say? It's almost 6:30 in the morning and once again, I haven't slept.**

**A/N: This story takes place in the Wild West. Any inconsistencies can be attributed to the fact that… 1) This is FICTION. 2) I haven't seen Dr Quinn in like ten years or something LOL.**

**A/N: I know I'm writing a lot of author's notes but as I said, I've gone without sleep again so I feel the need to shamelessly beg for you guys not to kill me.**

**A/N: This is the last one of these I promise. I would like to dedicate this first chapter to onetreefan for putting the idea of Wild West SVU in my head to the point where I just had to write it down. I love you girl!**

"I've heard about you," the mayor of the small town said to the man who stood in front of him "You have just as much respect for the law as the criminals who run rampant in these parts."

"Mayor Cragen," the rugged man tipped his hat to the elderly gentleman "I enforce the laws and give them as much respect as they deserve," he said sincerely "I'll keep the population of this town safe from those that would do them harm."

Cragen scratched his head "If you say so," he murmured "This town hasn't had a sheriff in a long time. The job is yours if you want it."

"Thank you kindly," the man said politely as he accepted the badge from the mayor "I'll do right by this badge I swear."

"That's all well and good Sheriff…" Cragen trailed off, not being able for the life of him to remember the man's name.

"Stabler," the new sheriff responded.

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Elliot Stabler walked out onto the dusty streets of the small town. The settlement didn't even have a name; as Elliot remembered, it was simply represented by a number on a map. Elliot had always wanted a challenge and he had come here in search of it. This place was dead center in the middle of several disputed territories. Gangs of rustlers had sprung up in the area and the townspeople had no one to defend them and keep the peace. Elliot had decided to be that someone.

The main part of town was basically the mayor's office, the general store and a telegraph office. All the buildings were run down almost to the point of disrepair. Elliot wondered how long it would be before the whole town collapsed around him. He almost laughed out loud when the image of a strong breeze flattening the place flashed through his mind.

He mounted his horse with the intention of surveying the few outlying farms and homesteads where the greater population of the town resided. As his horse moved along the dusty trails, Elliot wondered if this place was even worth the bullets in his gun. He rode past the first farm and saw chickens running around as a small girl tried to catch them. An older girl had a basket slung over one arm and was collecting eggs. He brought his horse to the fence and dismounted "Howdy," he greeted with a tip of his hat.

The older girl stepped forward "Are you the new sheriff?" she asked.

Elliot nodded "Name's Elliot," he said extending his hand "Pleasure to meet you."

The girl blushed slightly "I'm Ruth Branch," she introduced herself and then turned to the younger child beside her "This is my little sister, Alice."

Elliot turned and tipped his hat to the little girl "Nice to meet you Alice," he smiled.

Alice giggled and Ruth shoed her away quickly "Our father's been expecting you," she told him.

Elliot nodded. It had been arranged that he would stay at the Branch farm until he could secure his own land "I look forward to meeting him," he told Ruth "I'd like to finish looking around first," he got back on his horse, tipped his hat to the two girls once more and headed off to the next farm.

As he rode further up the trail, he wondered what on earth would make someone who had been as powerful as Arthur Branch to uproot his entire family and move them out west. Elliot had heard the rumors of what had happened to Branch's wife and the couple's infant son. The stories turned even Elliot's stomach. Still the man insisted on raising his two remaining children in the run down settlement.

As he rounded the bend he heard arguing. He drew closer and could hear the words more clearly.

"You know you'll never be able to handle this farm by yourself," a man was saying.

"I've been doing just fine for years now," a woman's voice retorted.

"You'll never do it without the help of a man," a second man put in.

Elliot drew closer still and he could see the people who were arguing. Two rather large men stood on either side of a woman with long brown hair. The two men looked nothing if not imposing but the woman didn't look intimidated in the least. Elliot found himself drawn to her instantly. He dismounted from his horse and walked up to the group "Is there a problem here?" he asked.

"This is none of your business stranger," the taller of the two men said with an angry look in Elliot's direction before he turned back to the woman.

"You two get off my land," the woman said in a low dangerous tone to the men who were very clearly trying to use their sheer size to scare her with no success.

"Not until you decide which one of us you're gonna marry, Olivia," the other said as he grabbed her around the waist.

"You get your hands off of me this second Eugene Howard or so help me I'll make it so that you'll be pissing through your nose," Olivia hissed.

"You heard her Eugene," the other man said pushing Eugene aside "She's obviously made her decision," he smiled as he made as if to kiss Olivia but she slapped him, causing him to stumble backwards.

"I'm not marrying you either Frances," she said angrily as Frances clutched his nose while Eugene chuckled to himself. "You and your brother get off of my land and don't come back. Do you here me?"

"I don't take kindly to being turned away Olivia," Frances said in a low voice as he moved towards her again.

"I believe the lady asked you to leave," Elliot said as he grabbed Frances and shoved him back against the fence.

Eugene stepped forward to come to his brother's aid "And who might you be who thinks he can tell the Howard brothers what they can and can't do?"

"Sheriff Elliot Stabler," Elliot said as he shifted so that his badge was visible as well as his holstered weapon.

"This place ain't had a sheriff in ten years," Frances said as he stood up.

"Just arrived this morning," Elliot responded coolly "Now you were just about to leave?"

Eugene and Frances shrugged and grumbled in resignation. They headed for their horses when Frances turned around "Looks like you got lucky today Olivia. But trust me, you'll never be able to run this place without a man," then he turned to Elliot "As for you Sheriff. You'd do well to remember that the Howard brothers always get what they want," and with those ominous words, Frances Howard mounted his horse and rode off with his brother following close behind.

Elliot turned to the woman beside him "Are you all right Miss…" he found himself staring into her deep brown eyes.

"My name is Olivia," Olivia said firmly "And I didn't need you to step in. I know how to handle those two."

"You certainly were doing a fine job of handling them when I rode by," Elliot snapped "The least you could do is say thank you."

"Well," Olivia huffed. "Thank you Sheriff Stabler. Now if you don't mind," she picked up a milking stool and a bucket "It's about time I milked the cows."

She walked towards the barn and Elliot followed her. There was just something about this woman that he found irresistible "You own this farm?" he asked.

Olivia answered him without turning or breaking stride "It belonged to my mother. I inherited it when she died last year."

"But you told those men that you'd been running this farm for years," Elliot said, baffled.

Olivia kicked open the barn door and set the stool down. She turned briefly to Elliot "My mother was a very sick woman Sheriff. Now I'll thank you to leave and let me get back to my work."

Elliot turned to leave "If you need me."

"Trust me, I won't," Olivia retorted as she set the stool down beside the first cow in a row of half a dozen.

"I'm staying at the Branch farm," Elliot finished "It's just a mile or so down the road-"

"I know my way around these parts Sheriff," Olivia said, not looking up from her work "I have lived here a lot longer than you have after all."

"Of course," Elliot murmured, feeling stupid "Well good day Miss Olivia," he turned and walked back to where he had left his horse. He mounted and turned back in the direction of the Branch farm; he suddenly felt very tired. Before he rode off, he took one last look at the barn "Till we meet again," he tipped his hat and rode away.

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Elliot sat at the table with Arthur Branch and his daughters later that evening. Poor Ruth, who was only ten years old, had made the shift from child to adult much faster than any child should ever have to. She had prepared the meal for the family and was currently in the process of trying to convince four year old Alice to stay in her chair.

Elliot sighed heavily as he thought about the task that lay ahead of him. There were still three homesteads left to visit. Branch had informed him that further up past the Benson farm, was the Howard family homestead; Elliot had assumed as much and had no real interest in introducing himself to the Howards. Aside from the Howard family, there were the there were the Martin and Thomas families. That wasn't counting the few people who lived at the center of town. Elliot wondered yet again why these people chose to come out here.

After supper, Elliot went out onto the porch and leant against the railing. He stared out into the fields, bathed in moonlight.

"Truly something," Elliot turned to see Arthur Branch standing in the doorway. The older man stepped out onto the porch and looked out into the fields with a wistful gaze "All this open land," he continued.

Elliot turned to Branch "Why uproot your entire family for such a risky venture?" he asked the question that had been eating away at him the entire day.

Branch looked down for a moment as the memories washed over him "Eleanor knew the risks," he whispered "It was too crowded in New York. I'd rather raise my family under the wide open skies."

Elliot simply shook his head. When he saw the look that had crossed Branch's face when he talked of his wife, Elliot had instantly regretted asking the question. He decided to change the topic quickly "So what do you know about the Howard brothers."

"Take my advice son," Branch said seriously "Don't get involved with those boys. Avoid crossing them at any cost."

"What?" Elliot inquired, perplexed.

"Those boys are trouble," Branch continued "Trouble in all forms. Mr. Munch once caught them trying to rob his store one night. At least," Branch's voice dropped low "That's what he told his wife when he came to the next morning."

Elliot gasped audibly. He hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Munch but he had heard that the man was tough enough to hold his own with the best of them. Ruth had said that he could even give Davy Crocket a run for his money. Suddenly Elliot thought of Olivia. She seemed to have no second thoughts about crossing the Howard boys. Considering what they wanted from her, Elliot really couldn't blame her. "They don't give up easily," he thought out loud.

"They don't give up at all," Branch told Elliot "If they want something, they'll simply take it."

Elliot suddenly felt very uneasy in the pit of his stomach. He jumped from the porch and ran for his horse. He had to check on her. He didn't even call out a word of explanation to Branch as he mounted and raced for Olivia Benson's farm.


	2. Chapter 2: A Heated Face Off

**Untamed **

**Chapter 2: A Heated Face Off**

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Dramawitsvu17 without whom, I probably would not have gotten around to the second chapter of this story for a while longer. You are awesome sweetie and I'll never get tired of you telling me how much you enjoy my writing.**

He rounded the bend in the road and stopped at the gate to the farm. He tethered his horse and walked towards the farmhouse. He had his hand on his gun as he climbed the steps of the porch. The farm was quiet, everything appeared to be in place but Elliot felt like it was too quiet for his liking. He knocked on the door and waited.

Slowly the door opened to reveal Olivia with a lantern in one hand and a shot gun tucked under her other arm. She stared at Elliot "To what do I owe the pleasure, Sheriff?" she asked sarcastically. She made no effort to move from the doorway, quite content to let the Sheriff stand on her doorstep rather than allow him inside her house.

Elliot shrugged uneasily. He had felt that something had been off but now that he stood in front of her and could see that everything was fine, he didn't know what to say for himself. He cleared his throat "You do know that those Howard brothers are dangerous?" he asked.

Olivia scoffed "You've been in town not even one day and you're telling me, who's lived here my entire life, that the Howard family is dangerous?" she shifted so that her pose was as intimidating as possible to a man who was easily more muscular than she was "I know that they're dangerous," she said softly "I've known for a long time."

"Then you do know that it's dangerous for you to be here by yourself?" Elliot continued. He couldn't help admiring her stubbornness but at the same time, he didn't want to see anything happen to her.

Olivia laughed again "The courageous law man is concerned about little old me?" she moved to shut the door "Go back to the Branch farm and don't concern yourself with my problems. If I see you on my property again without an invitation, I won't hesitate to shoot."

She tried to slam the door but Elliot shoved his foot in between it and the doorframe "That would be murder," he informed her.

"And who would be left to arrest me?" she asked with a gleam in her eye that spoke of mischief and made the corners of Elliot's lips curve into a small smile.

"You are something else Miss Benson," Elliot told her.

"Same to you Sheriff Stabler," Olivia conceded with a sigh "Now if you would be so kind as to remove your foot from my doorway."

Elliot did so reluctantly "Good evening to you," he tipped his hat to her before turning and making his way down the porch steps.

Olivia couldn't help opening the door wider as she watched him go. There was just something inherently trustworthy about this man. She couldn't quite put her finger on it though. When he reached his horse, he turned to take one last look at the farm and Olivia quickly closed the door in hopes that he wouldn't see that she had been watching him.

He had indeed seen her staring at him from the door and he smiled to himself as he mounted his horse. He was about to ride away when he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He spun around fast as lightening and drew his weapon "Who's there?" he asked in a loud tone that belied his apprehension.

"God damn it," someone muttered and Elliot just caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a large man slinking away through the underbrush.

Elliot dismounted from his horse and attempted to follow the figure on foot. He had gotten within inches of the man but it was so dark that he couldn't make out any distinguishing features. Suddenly the figure spun around and struck Elliot in the face. He fell backwards and narrowly avoided cracking his skull on a tree. By the time he had scrambled to his feet again, the shadowy figure had completely disappeared.

Elliot sighed and backtracked to where he had left his horse. It was pitch black but as Elliot drew nearer to the place where he had left Shadow, he could here the stallion whinnying in fear. He got closer and saw that the Benson farm was on fire. Flames shot high into the sky

"Oh my God," he whispered. He had left Shadow tethered to the fence. The poor animal was trying to pull himself free. Elliot came along side his faithful friend "Easy boy," he whispered as he untied him. "Go get help," he told the animal who tore off immediately down the road in the direction of the Branch farm. Elliot hoped that someone would at least think to come looking for him when his horse returned without his master.

Elliot didn't bother to open the gate as he swung himself over the fence, landing on his feet. He rushed towards the barn. As he got closer, he saw that Olivia was already there, surrounded by several frightened animals. "Are they all out?" he asked as soon as he was within earshot.

Olivia, too stunned to say anything, simply nodded. Elliot helped her lead the six cows, four sheep, two pigs and ten chickens, to a safe distance from the fire. When that was done, they both rushed for the well at the same time, drawing up bucket after bucket of water. Together, side by side, they fought furiously to quell the flames and save the barn but it became abundantly clear that it was a lost cause. The best they could do was try and keep the flames from spreading to the farmhouse.

They had been fighting for hours and were both exhausted when help finally arrived. Mr. Branch came galloping up to the gate, closely followed by Mr. Munch from the general store and his wife. They stopped and stared in shock at the site before them. Mrs. Munch was the first to spring into action followed soon after by her husband and Mr. Branch.

Elliot and Olivia were nearly dead on their feet by this time and welcomed the help greatly "You two should sit down," Alexandra Munch told them as she pulled a bucket of water from the well.

Elliot wasn't ready to give in and as he turned to Olivia, he could tell that she wasn't either. This farm was her livelihood, it was her home, it was the only life she had known for so long. She wasn't about to stand by and watch it burn to the ground.

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Morning dawned on the smoldering remains of what had once been the barn that Olivia's grandfather had built with his own hands. She stood staring at it, not able to move, barely able to think. She had no idea what she was supposed to do now. It wasn't just that the animals were now without a home; the farming equipment had gone up in flames along with the barn and was now damaged beyond repair.

The Munch's and Mr. Branch said goodbye and departed in a solemn silence. Elliot however remained. He stood beside Olivia, staring upon what had once been the barn. He wondered if she was okay. "I'm sorry we couldn't so more," he told her as he reached out to take her hand.

She didn't turn to him and jerked her hand away from his but whispered "Thank you for doing what you did," as much as she hated to admit it, without Elliot there would probably be nothing left of her farm at all. All that would be left would be her and a bunch of homeless animals. "I was a fool," she whispered. She wasn't really talking to Elliot or to anyone for that matter "Why did I think I could take care of this place on my own," she knew she should have at least hired a farm hand or two.

Just then the sound of galloping hoofs reached both Elliot and Olivia's ears. They turned, almost in unison to see Frank and Eugene Howard ride up. The two brothers dismounted and approached the place where Olivia stood. Frank spoke first "What a shame Olivia," he said removing his hat "We only just heard."

"We're sorry we couldn't be of any help," Eugene put in, reaching out in an attempt to pull Olivia into a hug. She backed away just in time but Eugene's hands were extended long enough for Elliot to see that the knuckles of his right hand were freshly split open.

Elliot reached out his hand and grabbed Eugene's wrist "How did you manage to do this to yourself?" he questioned suspiciously.

"Got into a fight last week Sheriff," Eugene responded innocently.

Elliot wasn't so sure. He didn't remember seeing those busted knuckles the day before and as he looked at Eugene's hand, he could see dried blood that wouldn't be there if the injury was as old as Eugene claimed it to be.

"I suppose you'll be wanting to sell and get out of town," Frank said to Olivia.

"You seem awfully eager," Elliot put in.

"This ain't none of your business Sheriff," Frank glared angrily at Elliot. "This is between me and the little lady over there."

Olivia muttered something under her breath as she fought to resist the urge to punch Frank Howard right in the face. "I'm not selling," she told him firmly "There hasn't been anything lost here that can't be rebuilt."

"Really," Frank shook his head and tried to hide the small smile that was playing on his lips "Seems to me that all that farm equipment is gonna be hard to come by in these parts."

"How did you know that I kept the equipment in the barn?" Olivia asked, anger threatening to bubble over. If these son's of bitches had set her barn on fire then God help them.

"Where else would you keep it?" Frank gestured around the landscape. "Look here," he stared Olivia down, hoping to intimidate her "We're trying to be generous here. There's no way you can manage this place on your own. We'll pay well for the land."

"I'm not selling," Olivia repeated.

"I think you have your answer," Elliot stepped forward and made a point of positioning himself between Frank and Olivia. "So unless you intend to pick up a hammer and nails and help Miss Benson rebuild the barn. I suggest you leave."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself mixed up in," Frank said in a low, dangerous voice to Elliot "My advice to you is to not get involved with her," he motioned to Olivia "She's trouble."

Elliot wanted to laugh in Frank's face. Not twenty four hours ago, Frank was practically begging this woman to be his wife. Although Elliot suspected that it had something to do with getting his hands on Olivia's land. Still, Elliot found it almost amusing. "Who I associate with is my business Mr. Howard," Elliot told the larger man with a tone of forced evenness.

"It's your funeral," Frank stood toe to toe with Elliot and for a moment, it looked as if he was going to hit him but he turned and motioned to his brother. The two went to their horses and rode away.

Olivia sighed and started to walk over to where the animals stood. They were still in shock and with the exception of the chickens none of them had moved more than an inch. Olivia thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't lost the animals as well as the equipment. When she reached where the cows stood, she sank to her knees "Is it still worth it?" she wondered aloud.

"Of course it is," she looked up to see Elliot standing beside her. "This place is your life and like you said, there wasn't anything lost that can't be replaced."

"Thanks," Olivia murmured before turning her gaze to the ground.

"You know," Elliot mused "I think that's the first hospitable word you've said to me since we met."

Olivia laughed "And yet you're still here," she tore her gaze from the ground again and looked at him "Why are you still here Sheriff Stabler."

"Elliot," Elliot corrected "And I honestly have no idea why I'm here Miss Benson."

"Olivia," Olivia said, holding out her hand to him "And if you call me Miss Olivia, I'll have to hurt you."

Elliot took her hand and chuckled "I don't doubt it," he looked around "You know," he said "It's probably not the best place for us to be around all these cows," he laughed again "Nature is gonna call eventually."

Olivia nodded, letting lose a laugh of her own, a laugh that Elliot thought was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard. She stood up "Would you like some breakfast Elliot?" she offered.

"Sounds good," he smiled as he too got up.

Olivia gestured to the chickens "Try and catch one of them and see if she'll lay an egg for you," she said as she too went to go coax her breakfast from one of the chickens who ran freely around the farm yard.

**A/N: Okay, how did you guys like this chapter? I'd really love to hear from all of you wonderful people. Love ya all.**


	3. Chapter 3: Evidence

**Untamed**

**Chapter 3: Evidence**

**A/N: I know I haven't updated this in a while but I just felt inspired. I swear I haven't forgotten about "I Wanna Come Home" or "Bound By Blood". This one was just calling out to me. This chapter is for onetreefan because she's always asking me to update this and "Spellbound" I love that she loves these AU things as much as I do.**

"Come on," Elliot held one of the chickens in his arms. The uncomfortable bird was trying to wriggle free. Olivia had already collected three eggs for herself and Elliot was determined to get at least one "Lay an egg," he begged the animal.

Olivia came up behind him and laughed "Having some trouble?" she asked. She had to admit that he was doing a great job of cheering her up; it had been so long since she had had any company at all in this lonely place.

"I'll get an egg out of her yet," Elliot murmured.

Olivia laughed again and bent down beside him, extracting the bird from his arms "First of all," she began as she let the chicken go "She's a he so it's a safe bet that you won't."

Elliot was almost sure that his face was beet read at that moment. He looked down at the ground and chuckled. He had just been trying to get an egg from a rooster.

Olivia tapped him on the shoulder "See there?" she asked as she pointed to a bird a few feet away who was crouching low.

"Is that one a she?" Elliot asked somewhat lamely. As he was speaking, the chicken laid an egg.

"Why don't you tell me," Olivia smirked. "Approach her slowly," she instructed "You don't want to frighten her."

Elliot did as he was told and reached out to take the egg. Just as his fingers wrapped around it, the chicken snapped around and pecked his hand. "Ouch," he murmured, still managing to get the egg in spite of the bird.

Olivia laughed again and pointed at the chicken "You know it's not right to do that," she chided through a small smile. "Are you okay?" she asked Elliot "Let me see your hand."

"It's fine," Elliot told her as he shifted the egg to his other hand and held the other one out for Olivia to see.

Olivia took his hand in hers. It was big and rough. This was a man who was no stranger to hard work. She ran her thumb over the place where he had been pecked. She held his hand for a long time without saying anything.

Elliot was surprised at the softness of her touch. Her gentle hands were beautiful in spite of the life of a farmer. He wrapped his fingers around hers and smiled. He watched as her thumb moved gently over the place where the chicken had pecked him. Silence fell over the two of them but it was an easy silence.

After a long time, Olivia cleared her throat, reluctantly releasing Elliot's hand "It looks fine," she said softly, standing up and changing the subject quickly "A couple more eggs and we'll have enough for breakfast," she said before moving towards another chicken who had begun to squat.

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After they had eaten, Elliot helped milk the cows; the milking stood and the pales had been in the farm house, they were the only farming equipment that hadn't been damaged.

Olivia took the pales of milk and put the contents into bottles. Alexandra Munch was kind enough to drop by every day to pick up the milk and take it to the store. Every night Alex would return with new bottles for the next day and the Olivia's share of the profits from the sale of the milk. The money wasn't much but it helped Olivia get by.

Alex road up to the house in the wagon as usual, even though she had been there only a few hours before. She wasn't sure that there would be any milk today but she suspected that since the cows were still alive, Olivia would find a way to make the quota.

"Hello Sheriff," Alex smiled as she climbed down from the wagon.

"Good day Mrs. Munch," Elliot tipped his hat to her. He and Olivia helped Alex load the bottles into the wagon.

When the bottles had been loaded Alex pulled Olivia to one side for a word in private. She gave her friend a quick hug "I'm so sorry," she said softly. Alex knew how proud Olivia was of the barn her grandfather had built and how much the family farm meant to her. "You know if you need anything John and I are more than willing to lend a hand," she offered.

"Thanks," Olivia smiled softly. She turned to stare at the pile of ashes that had once been the barn "I'm gonna rebuild," she said determinedly.

"We'll be here first thing tomorrow," Alex promised.

"Thank you," Olivia said again, giving Alex another hug.

"I should get back to the store," Alex said as she climbed back into the wagon. She took one last look at Elliot and Olivia "You take care," she called as she picked up the reigns and rode off.

Elliot turned to Olivia. He needed to make sure that Shadow was all right but he was worried about leaving her alone "I have to…" he trailed off.

Olivia understood. For some reason, it wasn't necessary for Elliot to finish his sentence. She seemed to know just by his body language "I'll be fine," she reassured him.

"I'll be back soon," Elliot promised.

"Don't hurry on account of me," Olivia told him firmly. Elliot began to walk down the path back to the Branch farm. Olivia watched him until he was out of sight. When he turned the bend, she went to the place where the barn had been and began sifting through the ashes.

The large farming equipment was damaged but she was hoping that maybe she could find the pitchfork or something else that had been lucky enough to resist the flames. She did indeed find the pitchfork and near it, where the hay loft had once been, she found something else. She bent down and picked up the small object. It was tarnished but not beyond recognition. It was a lighter and as she turned it in the morning sunlight, she could make out the initials FJH engraved on it.

She knew what those letters stood for and suddenly, she felt afraid. She had never allowed herself to be afraid of him but she had never had a good reason until now. She ran into the house and grabbed her shotgun. She stood at the ready at the gate.

She heard the sound of hoofs and raised the gun. She didn't want to have to use it unless she had to. Her finger was on the trigger when she saw Elliot, riding Shadow coming around the bend. She breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the gun.

Elliot dismounted and looked at her. He knew he hadn't imagined it when she had been holding the gun, ready to fire. He took a step forward "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Of course," Olivia countered, her tone regaining the edge of bitterness that it had had before. She was on the defensive. Frank had been right to caution Elliot not to get involved. This was her business and her business alone. Sheriff or not, she couldn't be responsible for him getting hurt.

Elliot leaned against the fence, scrutinizing Olivia carefully. He couldn't tell but he thought something was off "You're sure?" he inquired.

"Yes," she said firmly. She simply took the lighter out of her pocket and handed it to him "I found this over there," she pointed to the pile of ashes in the distance.

Elliot turned the small object over in his hands and noticed the engraving "FJH?" he asked.

Olivia took a shaky breath before saying in a low voice "Frances Joseph Howard."

**A/N: I know this is a short chapter but I thought that was a good place to leave it. For the record, I don't know when the lighter was invented but for the purposes of this story, let's just say that it had already existed for quite a while before this happened. I hope you all liked it. I'd love to know what you guys thought.**


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